Generational Talent
Author:Lindsey ShookHeritage, curiosity and nature are the driving forces behind artist Nicole Nadeau’s dynamic body of work
Nicole Nadeau‘s art is a testament to transformation—both in her materials and in herself. Born into a lineage of craftspeople, Nadeau’s hands were practically predestined to create, but the path she forged was distinctly her own. Her father, Michael, crafted furniture with precision, shaping wood like clay. “Creativity was a way of life in my family,” says Nadeau. “Engaging in creative dialogues and receiving constructive critiques was a common practice, fostering a culture of artistic exploration and growth.”
As a fraternal twin, she grew up innately aware of dualities: the push and pull of similarity and difference. Growing up, she spent countless hours in the woods with her twin sister near their home, constructing sculptures from found materials. In these formative years, nature was both muse and medium, and her creations hinted at what would become a lifelong theme: the exploration of identity and ritual through objects.
Though she initially dreamed of studying fine art at RISD, she found herself studying industrial design at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The shift opened new doors, allowing her to play with form and function in ways that transcended traditional art. It was at Parsons School of Design, where Nadeau eventually earned her BFA, that she began to fully fuse the worlds of craft, design and art. Under the guidance of design icons including Lindsey Adelman, Nadeau honed her conceptual approach, learning how to manipulate materials into objects that were not just functional but also transformative. “I love the language of industrial materials and design in my art practice,” she notes. “They influence each other and are integral parts of my creative process, contributing to my artistic ethos.”
Her sculptures are evidence of perspective—a delicate balance between raw and polished, industrial and the organic. Nadeau’s works, often exaggerated in form, display physicality. They bear the marks of her hands and her spirit. Living in California, Nadeau found the space and freedom to expand her explorations. Her move to Marin County allowed her to experiment on a larger scale, blending industrial materials like fiberglass and wood with natural elements, all while steeping her practice in her surroundings. In her studio at the historical Marinship of Sausalito, a shipyard once home to counterculture luminaries like Alan Watts, she channels the building’s historic energy while creating work that explores the future. The shipyard’s legacy is palpable in her new works, where the materials are transformed by her hands into art that is both personal and universal.
Nadeau’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and design fairs across the country, from Miami’s KDR305 Gallery to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Each exhibition is an evolution, a further exploration of the themes she has been nurturing since childhood. Her work is not just a reflection of herself but also of her lineage, her environment and the world around her. “After years of anticipation, I am excited to continue exploring and expanding upon my current body of work within this inspiring setting,” she notes. “The process of creating and experimenting in this space is a source of great joy and fulfillment for me and I look forward to see how my art evolves and resonates with the dialogue of the environment.”
